Kiss So Sweet
by axelkairi
Summary: A collection of drabbles and short stories. Zujin/Jinko. On haitus
1. Smile

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: I am a huge fan of Zujin/Jinko, so when I saw that there are only 11 fanfics for them, I was a little distraught. So I decided to write a story for them to help out! However, I have no storyline planned, so I just decided that, for now, I would post a collection of Jinko short stories and drabbles until I have a real story plan. Hope you like!

**Drabble #1**

**Smile**

"I can't believe it!" she said, her voice heartbroken and her eyes heartbreaking. "They aren't lit..." She blinked and looked down at the ground, her shoulders slumped, like a wilted fire lily.

I frowned. Why did it matter so much to her? It was just some lamps and a fountain, nothing special.

_It's special to her._

I blinked and looked away from her, glancing around. It wouldn't be hard; if anything it would be easy... And there weren't any witnesses...

"Close your eyes, and don't peek," I said, the words out of my mouth before I could stop them. What was I doing? I was going to blow my cover!

But then she smiled, and I broke. She nodded and closed her eyes, covering them with her hands in a childlike manner.

And then I wasn't just doing this for her. I was doing it for myself, selfishly. So I could see her face, her smile, when she saw what I'd done.

It was a simple trick, lighting the lamps. The only tricky thing was making sure I didn't miss; even a little too high and the whole thing would burn. In no time at all, fire glowed around the square, reflecting in the water of the fountain.

She was right. It really was beautiful.

"Okay," I said, turning back to her. "Now you can look."

Her hands came down from her eyes, and I expected to see her face light in a smile. But it didn't happen. Instead of happiness, her expression turned to awe. "Oh wow," was all she said.

Where was her smile? Didn't she like it? Nevertheless, I smiled at her, still proud of what I'd done. Maybe she just needed to take it in. She would smile again, I just had to be patient.

"What happened?" she asked, walking forward. There it was, her smile. Finally. "How did they light? What did... you..." Her eyes met mine, and I could tell she didn't really need an answer.

She had what she wanted. A beautiful night, full of light.

We turned together, taking in the sight. But all I could think about was what I had gotten. Her smile.

And that was all I needed.


	2. If All Goes According to Plan

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Hope you liked the first drabble! I hope Zuko wasn't too OOC. I tried to get his whole I-shouldn't-do-things-for-people-they-should-do-things-for-me mentality, but it's hard to do when he's being such a sweetie pie! =) Well, not sure what I'm gonna do with this one. I'll just wing it and see where the words take me!

**Drabble #2**

**If All Goes According to Plan**

The objective was simple: go on a date with the scarred boy from the teashop. That was what the old man had paid her to do. And being a refugee, she was definately scraping for money. So what could she do but accept.

She'd done things like this before. She'd pretend to be into a guy so they'd pay for her dinner, or say drop someone's hat in the river and say it was hers so a nice stranger would buy her a new one, so she wasn't too nervous.

But the scar...

The old man had called the boy his nephew, so obviously he wanted what he said: a date. No strings attached, thank goodness. She was no whore. And being the boy's uncle, he thought the world of his nephew.

So there was no telling how bad the scar was. What if he was ugly? Seriously deformed?

She shook her head and entered the teashop. Who cares? She'd go on a date with him, bid him a fond goodnight, and never set foot in that shop again. Whether he was cute or not, she was getting her money.

She sat down at a table in the corner, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. She smiled, as if in a dream, just like she had last time. The old man told her specifically to come twice. Only on the second visit should she ask him out. It was a smart plan, really. This way she wouldn't be just some random stranger. She'd be "that girl from yesterday".

Yesterday, of course, she'd dropped her ribbon under the table while she was re-tying her braid, and had her head stuck underneath it while the boy served her tea. He hadn't offered her help or anything, just served her silently and walked away.

All she knew was that he was tall with short hair. And didn't feel the need to help people find ribbons on the floor.

The curtain moved from the kitchen, and her eyes casually slid in their direction. There he was.

She blushed, and looked away, trying to hide it. Okay, so the scar was pretty bad, but he was _really_ cute. Cuter than the guy from last week, even! The one with that obsessive desire to chew on a stick-like plant, who'd paid for her dinner, and even the scroll she'd wanted from that traveling merchant. She didn't kiss him, though, of course. Even if she'd wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to. He wouldn't take that stupid weed out of his mouth!

The boy slammed her cup of tea down on her table, surprising her, and she looked up at him to meet his eyes. They were golden, flickering like the lamp at the firelight fountain. He looked at her only for a split second, then his eyes were gone, and he stood, turning swiftly away from her before she even had a chance to flash him a smile.

Hm. Well now she knew what to expect. _Great, he has a scar and anger issues. Poor old man, having to deal with him all the time._

She couldn't help but smile though. He was so cute, and his anger was actually sort of silly. She breifly wondered if she could get him to smile. If she could, then she'd have to ask for a raise.

That would be her goal for the night then. She'd get him to smile.

---

She met the old man later that night, down the street from the teashop, just like before.

"How did it go?" he asked casually, his hands drawn into his sleeves to protect himself from the chill of night.

She blushed and desperately hoped he couldn't see. "It was nice," she said simply, hoping that would suffice.

The old man's face creased in a smile, and he laughed a little under his breath. "Glad to hear it," he replied, digging into his pocket.

She held up a hand and he stopped, confused. "I don't need it," she said, smiling ever so slightly. "The chance to spend an evening with your nephew was payment enough."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice doubtful.

She nodded, blinking slowly, her eyes threatening to tear up. "Yes," she answered quietly. "Thank you, though. It means a lot."

He nodded back, his expression still confused, but accepting. "Be sure to visit the teashop whenever you like."

She didn't know an appropriate response for that. She bowed awkwardly, mumbled an "Of course," and walked off, away from the shop, from the man and his angry, confusing, handsome, sweet nephew with the longing, tentative lips.

She couldn't go back. Not after what he'd said to her. But that kiss, the memory of him, of Li, would haunt her dreams for months to come.

And she'd welcome those memories with open arms, no matter how much they hurt. Because at least she'd be able to see that beautifully imperfect face again.


	3. 25: Door

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Okay, so I made a list of 100 words, and I'm going to use those words as titles and inspiration for drabbles and short stories! So here we are, with number 25: Door. Hope you like, and please review!

**25. Door**

His eyes shut and he sighed heavily. How he had let his uncle talk him into this, he had no clue. She was just a stupid peasant girl! Why did she even matter?

He was a prince. She was a peasant. And Earth Kingdom peasant no less. A Fire Prince didn't even glance at people like her, let alone agree to go on a date with one.

"You said yourself the date was nice!" his uncle had argued, lifting his hands in his typical please-understand gesture.

"I only said that so _you_ wouldn't bother me!" he'd protested angrily, slamming the tray on the table, the teapot clanging against itself and the other cups. "If you knew, you would've asked questions, and done exactly what you're doing now!"

"Pardon me for trying to make my nephew happy!" Iroh said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

Hours passed, filled with customers, and not once did Zuko see Jin. His eyebrows furrowed and he walked back into the kitchen, dropping a teapot and some cups into the sink.

His uncle sighed and turned to him, folding his arms into his sleeves. "I can see you're unhappy, Prince Zuko. But it seems like I'm the only one trying to fix it."

"I don't need your help," Zuko snapped, taking a wet cloth to one of the cups. "This city is terrible. I won't be happy until we leave."

His uncle was silent after that, at least for a while. He didn't speak again until his nephew was nearly done cleaning the dishes. "She didn't come today, did she?" he asked, his voice quiet and monotonic.

Zuko's hands stilled, but only for a moment. He continued scrubbing, his muscles tensing and his frown deepening.

Iroh took a few steps toward him and rested his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Why do you say you don't care when you look for her every day?"

Zuko spun around and stepped back, the cup and washcloth still in his hands. "I don't _look_ for her!" he exclaimed, his fingers burning through the washcloth, making the water evaporate. "I'm _glad_ she stopped coming! This way I don't have to look at her, or even _think_ about her! I want her out of my _life!_" He threw the cup to the ground and the washcloth covered it.

Iroh was left with a smoking cloth and a new knowledge.

Zuko still wanted Jin.

And then there he stood, in front of her door, a mind warring with emotions and a coupon for tea in his hand. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but paused. He sighed again and let it fall back to his side, turning and beginning to pace on her porch.

What was he supposed to say? That he was sorry? Because he wasn't! He was only doing this so his uncle would get off his back.

He did what he had to at the firelight fountain. What he _wanted_ to do. He had a girl waiting for him back in the Fire Nation. But strangely, as her face came into his thoughts, his heart sank. Her frown, her cold, squinting eyes, her too-perfect hair...

Then she smiled. Her hair grew lighter, her bangs became uneven, her straight pigtails became long braids, her eyes the color of olives...

He stopped walking abrubtly and blinked, shaking his head to clear away the image of her face. Jin and Mai were complete opposites. Mai was perfect for him. She was just as stubborn as he was, she calmed him down when he was angry, shared his opinion on everything.

But Jin... she smiled when he yelled at her, accepted his odd comments with an amused look, and showed him beautiful things that he never would have stopped to look at before. She was his opposite as well. His perfect opposite...

He swallowed and narrowed his eyes. No, she was just like everyone else. She only smiled at him because she didn't want to show how hurt she was. All he did was hurt her.

His fingers tightened around the coupon, filled with anger. But his anger confused him. He wasn't angry at her, not even at his uncle, but at himself. He'd hurt her, and he cursed himself for it.

His hands balled into fists and he slammed them into his forehead, clenching his teeth and shutting his eyes tightly. What was wrong with him? He didn't like this. She confused him, made him furious, and he hated it.

He hated her.

Stupid girl. He threw the coupon down on the ground, in front of her door, and stomped off her porch into the streets. He'd just tell his uncle he apologized, and she accepted it, and he gave her the coupon. So that way if she didn't come back, Iroh couldn't blame him. That would work.

---

She could swear she heard footsteps outside. She grabbed her cup of tea in her hand, in case it was someone dangerous so she could throw the hot liquid in their eyes. She wasn't quite sure what to do after that, probably run away and call for help. She didn't know too much about self-defense.

She opened the door a crack at first, then pulled it open all the way.

No one was there.

Her eyes narrowed. _There was someone out here,_ she thought, looking around. _I'm sure of it._ She stepped outside, then jumped when she heard something crinkle.

She stepped back and lifted her foot. Sure enough, she'd only stepped on a small piece of paper. _Who left this here?_ she asked herself mentally, and bent down to pick it up. I straightened my back and held it out in front of me, trying to take out all the wrinkles so I could read it.

_Wait..._ It looked familiar. Where had she seen this before?

She gasped, her eyes tearing away from the coupon and out to the streets. "Li?" she asked, her voice carrying on the wind.

But no one was there to hear her.


	4. 77: Hallway

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Hope you liked Door! Here's number 77: Hallway.

**77. Hallway**

There they were again. His glowing orange eyes. They locked on to mine, making me blush.

And then I recieved a glare from his girlfriend.

I winced and looked away, turning back to my locker and shutting it quietly. Why did he do this to me? He had to know I liked him. Why else would he even waste his time looking at me like that? When he had a girlfriend, no less!

"What's up, Jin?" Katara asked, coming up next to me.

I jumped a little, pulled away from my thoughts so suddenly, then sighed, offering her a smile. "Nothing, really. Just Zuko with his antics again."

She made a face and stood on her tiptoes, catching his eyes. She'd had a thing for him in the past, and you might even say they dated for a little, but their whole relationship was too complicated for either of them to handle. So they broke up, and Zuko got back together with Mai. Sometimes I think he was just with her so he could have someone to be with, not neccessarily because he liked her. She's so depressing to be around, so who could possibly really like being around her all the time?

Katara sighed, looked back at me. "Don't worry about him," she said. "You wouldn't like him, anyway. He's always angry about something, and it gets pretty annoying. He hardly ever smiles. He's, like, the emo-est guy in the whole school."

I shrugged. "I guess," I agreed. But I couldn't help letting my eyes wander to his, and he was still looking at me. Unsmiling, unaffectionate, just intense.

What did he want from me?


	5. 34: Hit

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Okay, the last chapter was short, I know. But just know that there will probably be a sequel or two, namely 40. Bus, 63. School, and 64. Locker. I'm just not sure when those will come up, because I'm using a random number generator to see which story I'll write next. So when those come up, I'll say something in here, so you guys know, and you're not like "wait, what?"

Well, here's number 34: Hit. Prepare for darkness and character harm. Just a warning.

**34. Hit**

Bankrupt.

When I'd been a Fire Prince, I'd hardly known what those words meant. But now that I'd chosen to live in the slums of Ba Sing Se, I'd learned a thing or two about money. Like how hard it was to get.

And how easy it was to lose.

Being a former Prince, I had expensive tastes, for myself and my wife, Jin. For her, our marriage's most important memories could be captured into objects.

Engagement: a ring; 14 kt gold band, two crystals, two diamonds, and a good-sized emerald, to match her eyes and favorite dress.

Wedding: a ring; 24 kt gold band, five small diamonds set into the gold all the way around.

Honeymoon: a white gold necklace, two silver bracelets, three new pairs of earrings (silver, diamond, and pearl), and a very beautiful - authentic - painting of an earthbending badger-mole.

Anniversary: a barn, with five horses, three stableboys, and a few cats here and there, along with ten acres of land in the undeveloped part of the Impenetrable City. (We'd bought a house closer to the barn, as well, though it wasn't very expensive. In fact, it probably cost much less than the house we'd been living in before, and for obvious reasons. She spent a few hours with the horses every day, and we'd always use whatever breaks we had in our busy lives to go on a ride side by side throughout our land.)

So it wasn't a huge shock to her when she found out.

"Bankrupt, huh?" she asked, her voice flat, her eyes on the ground. She put her hands on her hips lightly and blew out a breath, tapping her foot against the aging wood of the floor, something she did when the gears in her mind were turning, meaning she was trying to find something optimistic about the situation.

Just knowing that she was going to end up trying to make the best of this was enough to make me frown. Normally I loved her smile. It was always there, no matter what happened.

But this wasn't like everything else. This was serious. And it was time she acted serious, as well.

"Well, it can't be _that_ bad, can it?" she said, her eyes lifting to mine, and I could already see the hope in them. "I mean, we have plenty of friends that aren't doing so well financially, and they seem happy enough."

"Happy?" I asked incredulously. "You can't honestly think they're _happy_ being in bankruptcy."

"Well, last time we saw them, they acted like -"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands out in front of me. "They _acted!_ They _act_ like they're happy so we won't worry! And now they won't even have to act, because we can't _afford_ to worry about them right now. The only people that matter is us."

"Li!" Jin snapped, her smile gone. "Don't say that; that's terrible! We can't be so selfish!"

"We're _bankrupt_, Jin!" I yelled, my eyes widening in my anger, my voice getting louder. Why wouldn't she listen? "We're _broke!_ We. Have. No. _Money!_"

"I know, dammit!" she said, throwing her arms out to her sides. Finally, she was angry. No longer smiling, maybe she'd listen to reason. "I'm just trying to lighten this whole thing. I know you're stressed and all, but -"

"Of _course_ I'm stressed, Jin!" I stomped up to her and grabbed her arms, holding her where she was. "We're broke, and it's all my fault! How am I supposed to support you when I work at a _tea shop?_ I need a better job, dammit, and _nobody's_ gonna hire some guy off the streets with no proof of education and no money!"

"I don't know what you want _me_ to do about it!" she said, struggling in my arms. "And you're fucking _hurting_ me, Li! Get _off!_"

"Yeah, I'm hurting you, bitch!" I roared back at her, making her stop moving abruptly, looking up at me with wide, fearful eyes. "If I didn't fucking _love_ you so much, I wouldn't have spent all that _money_ on you! Shit, why'd you even talk to me in the first place? Why couldn't you have just had some tea, and left? If it weren't for _you_, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Li, stop it, please!" she said. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she struggled even more, jerking hard away from me.

I tightened my grip on her and pulled her closer. "Listen to me, you damn whore!"

"You're hurting me!" She sobbed, her words coming out in a grating high-pitched voice. "Stop it, Li! Let go of me, _please_! Just let go!"

"My name's _Zuko!_" I slapped her hard across the face, grabbing her wrist as she stumbled, pulling her back to me before slapping the other side of her face. "_Zuko!_" I pushed her away from me and let her fall to the floor, walking to the desk a few steps away, leaning on it, placing my hands on it behind me.

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to block out the sound of her sobs, but it was impossible to ignore. My eyes teared up, and I blinked, getting rid of them as best I could without wiping my eyes obviously. I couldn't stop myself; I leaned my head forward, just enough to see her.

She was on her knees in front of the wall, pushing herself up against it, getting as far away from me as she could without leaving the room. She pulled her legs up to her, her hands covering her face, her hair sticking to her hands, face, and neck.

I sighed heavily, realizing what I'd done. I raked my hand through my hair and pushed myself up off the table, taking a few steps toward her. "Listen, Jin," I started, refusing to let myself look at her again. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You just got me so... _angry_. Just take things seriously once in a while. It gets me really pissed off how you _always_ have to see the bright side of things. Some things just don't have a bright side, okay?"

She sniffed, and I wasn't sure if that was a nod or not. I decided to act as if it was.

"I'm only acting like this because I love you, sweetheart." I kneeled down next to her, putting my arm around her shoulders. She tensed, but didn't move or make any sound to suggest that she didn't want me there. "I just wanna make you happy, and I can't do that when you make me angry. Okay?" I put my hand on the side of her face turned her head to me, meeting her eyes. I wiped away the tears on her cheeks, offering her a soft smile. "So I'm gonna go take care of the tea shop, and you get yourself cleaned up. And then... we'll go on another horseback ride, okay? That'll make you forget this whole thing ever happened."

I stood up and began making my way to the door, but as my hand touched the doorknob, I turned back to her. "And by the way, about my name? Only call me Zuko in the house. If we're around anybody else, I'm Li. Understand?"

She nodded, sniffling again.

"Quit sniffling, honey," I said, opening the door. "You sound pathetic."

The door slammed shut behind me, and finally I could escape the sound of her cries.


	6. 92: Longing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Wow, Zuko's an abusive husband! I hope you guys caught the whole vibe that I was trying to convery with what he was saying. Like how instead of saying "I'm sorry I got so angry" he said "You shouldn't make me so angry"? He was blaming her instead of himself, and in turn making her feel like it was _her_ fault. Classic abuse. Hope you liked it! (lol sorta weird thing to say when you're talking about an abusive relationship)

Well, this is a nicer one. Not necessarily happy, actually sorta angsty, and feel-sorry-for-me kinda, but there's no abuse! So happiness in that regard. Hope you like, and don't forget to review!

**92. Longing**

She was beautiful, in a grundgy sort of way. She was loveable, in an off-putting sort of way. She was funny, though he took it very seriously. She tried so hard that it was easy. She didn't seem to want him.

And that just made him want her even more.

The third date. It was a classic girl move. If you give it up on the first or second date, you're a slut. If you wait till the fourth, you're a prude. But the third date is the safety zone that so many girls aim for.

And now she was letting him walk her home.

All the signs pointed to one outcome. They'd only gone to a movie, and she'd only had a soda. Her shorts were short, her shirt was cut low, her hair was haphazard in a sexy sort of way, her makeup was dark. And more than once, she'd given him that look (girl's you know what I'm talking about). She'd smile up at him through her lashes, her eyebrows furrowed just enough, her mouth curved up only slightly, just so much that it looked like a smirk. She'd been biting her lip all night.

He'd been biting his, as well.

She opened the door, gesturing for him to come inside. He did, feeling awkward. He hoped she didn't do the whole nervous tour most people did when they first invited someone over. Unless it got them to her bedroom sooner; then he was all for it.

She asked him if he wanted tea. He almost declined, about to say that it was her lips he wanted to taste. But he nodded, politely accepting, and sat when she told him to. He fumbled with his thumbs under the table, trying to keep his eyes on the ever boring paintings on the walls. But they kept wandering back to her. To her long legs, full lips, tiny waist, and... He swallowed, taking a deep breath before turning away.

He was such a pig. This girl was amazing. Fun, funny, smart, and all he could think about was how she'd be in bed. Stupid teenage hormones.

She set the tea down in front of him, sitting on the other side of the table. He wished she'd sat next to him, but said nothing, only sipped his tea gingerly, trying not to burn his lips. It was jasmine, his uncle's favorite, though not as good as he made it. It was still pretty good, nonetheless, but did nothing to stop his pulse from racing.

She was staring at him. He asked why. She smiled and shook her head, saying it was nothing really. She was just admiring how handsome he was.

Handsome? He hadn't heard that in a long time. Was she trying to seem intellectual? Or maybe she said it so she wouldn't sound like every other whore he'd slept with. The ones that called him hott or sexy, fuckable even at times. Handsome. It was a nice change, he guessed.

Okay, this was getting ridiculous. Was she gonna put out or not? He felt like a jerk for thinking it, but he was growing impatient. He wanted her; how long was she going to make him wait?

But what could he say? Wanna fuck? No, of course not, she'd be insulted. He'd have to leave the first move up to her, then.

She stood up and took the empty tea cup from in front of him. It'd been lonely for a long time, she said. Her mother was on a business trip, which was surprising.

He cocked his head, wondering why it was surprising.

Because she was a huge drinker. She pulled up the bottom of her shirt until it was above her ribs, where an ugly bruise rested. That was when she tried to run away a week ago, she said. It looked better then than when she'd first gotten it.

What about her father?

Gone. Went to war, never came home. Mom hadn't been sober since.

He was so sorry.

No worries. She could take care of herself.

He stood up and walked over to her. Could he kiss her, he asked.

She said nothing. She leaned forward and kissed him, answering his question with nothing but silence.

He wanted her. He wanted her. He wanted her. She was such a good kisser. She was warm. She needed him. She wanted someone to take care of her. She wanted him.

But not the same way he wanted her right then.

He pulled away, smiling sheepishly. It was getting late; time for him to be getting back home.

Yeah. She led him back to the door, giving him a smile. She had a wonderful time that night.

He did, too. He'd call her, okay?

Okay. She gave him a small peck on the lips before shutting the door.

He sighed and turned around, walking home. He'd wait. He could wait for her, no matter how crazy it made him.


	7. 50: Puppy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Hey there! Hope you liked the last one! 92. Longing was okay, and I liked what I did with the dialogue. How there was none? lol I thought that was a fun little experiment. Well, this one is a spinoff of the beginning of Anastasia, the animated movie, because I had no idea of what to do for the word 'puppy', besides the obvious "guy gives girl a puppy". Can you say boring? So, here we go! Let's see how good my memory is! Hope you like and don't forget to review!

**50. Puppy**

The old orphanage keeper slammed the gate in my face, makung it rattle and causing the snow to fall off onto my head. I scowled and took off my hat, shaking off the snow before putting it back on and turning to leave.

"Be grateful, Jin!" I mocked, hobbling forward and gripping the air as if it were a cane. Hmph!" I straightened my back and crossed my arms, kicking up snow in my path. "I _am_ grateful! I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach -" I was interrupted by a growl from my abdomen, and I rested my hand there, making a face. "Well, it may not be much, and it may be disgusting, but at least it's food, right?"

My stomach answered me with another gargled roar, and I sighed heavily and leaned against the sign at the fork in the road.

"But honestly, who can blame me for wanting more?" I asked the sky, blinking quickly to avoid the snow falling in my eyes, letting it instead gather atop my eyelashes. "It's not like I'm not happy. I am! I just... My life has been the orphanage, ever since I was eight." I dropped my head, surveying my surroundings with a strange mix of uninterest and fascination. I held out my hand and watched as the snow made a small pile on my glove, and smiled sadly. "I just wanna know what else is out there, that's all."

I let out another sigh and stepped forward, turning back to read the sign. I tapped my foot against the snow covered dirt road as I thought. "Well, if I go left..." I humored myself and began to saunter over in that direction, raising my ankles high in the air with each step, my knees buckled straight. "... I'll just be Jin, the orphan girl. For the rest of my life."

I frowned at the thought; it sounded even worse when I said it out loud. For it was the sad truth; that's who I was, and, if things kept on going how they were, who I always would be.

Then my eyes flickered to the other side of the sign, and a smile played on my lips. "But if I go right..." I began, walking excitedly in that direction, watching the sign the entire time, as if it were smiling back, encouraging me, "... who knows what could happen? It'll be an adventure; my first real adventure! Ba Sing Se sounds like an interesting place."

My face slowly fell. "Then again, what if it's just like the orphanage? The Earth Kingdom has been suffering; what if everyone there was in poverty, and I ended up just like them? At least in the left there would be money and a job."

I sighed heavily and dropped into a sit in the snow, leaning my back against the sign. I turned my face up to the sky again. "Hey, snow," I said, ignoring how crazy I must've looked, "you must've come from somewhere, right? Someone's up there, dropping you down here?" I cleared my throat and raised my voice. "Well, whoever you are up there, I need your help! I need a sign! A hint! Please, tell me what to do!"

Silence. The snow just kept falling, traveling on the wind, as if laughing at me. I closed my eyes, my hope fading. "Anything?" I asked again, but again was met with silence.

But only for a moment. The snow beside me ruffled, and a small furry head popped out, making odd high-pitched sounds.

I was so surprised I jumped back up to stand, turning to get a better view of my guest.

It stood up, shaking the snow off its small body, and revealed itself as a very fluffy gray puppy, with big eyes and a wide, happy smile. It sat, looking up at me fondly, its tail wagging, making a sort of snow angel shape on the ground.

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, shaking my head. "Sorry, puppy, I can't play right now," I explained to it. "I'm waiting for a sign."

It barked at me and jumped up, bounding through the snow that was almost taller than it was until it reached me. It grabbed my overly long scarf between its jaws and tugged hard, walking backward.

"Hey! Puppy!" I tugged back on my scarf, and it let go, leaving me to spin on my heel in the snow, do a complete 360, and fall flat on my stomach on the road.

I lifted my face from the snow and blew it away, propping myself up on my elbows. The puppy sat in front of me. still grinning widely, tail wagging.

And behind it was the road on the right, leading straight to the city of Ba Sing Se.

"Ooooh," I said, heaving myself up. I laughed at my stupidity, then leaned down to pat the dog on the head. "Alright, puppy, I can take a hint," I said, and started walking down the path. I cocked my head to look behind me. "Aren't ya comin'?"

The puppy yipped happily, bounding up behind me to stab its paws into the snow next to me.

This was the start of my journey. _Our_ journey.

The first adventure.


	8. 73: Window

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: haha hope you guys all liked Avastasia! I couldn't think of anything else, so there it was. This one will be a little different. It's the whole 'once upon a time' thing, but I'm going to try my best to put a little spin on the classic fairytale stuff, you know, make it fun and spice it up a bit. Hope you like! Please review!

**73. Window**

Once upon a time, there was a young woman living in a tall house in a faraway land. Her parents had wanted a boy, so they already didn't like her, but since her mother died during childbirth, her father had the firm belief that it was all this young woman's fault.

Her name was Jin. And she was confined to her room because of her father's hatred. He said he would not let her out until she had suffered what her mother suffered: death by the hands of someone she'd loved.

This was a tougher task than he'd anticipated, however, for Jin did not love her father. She did not loathe him, either. She felt completely indifferent towards him, and thankfully so, for if she did love him, her heart would have been broken for how poorly he treated her.

So the father was waiting, watching, keeping an eye out for anyone who could win the young girl's heart. Each week, at least once, he would send up a man, who would then proceed to try and woo her. But she would have none of it. She knew her father's plan, and would not fall into his trap. She closed off her heart to the men, and no matter how charming, handsome, or powerful they were, she would politely - or sometimes not so politely - turn them down, and they would then walk down the long flights of stairs until they reached the door, telling her father of the bad news.

Jin was beginning to wonder if she would just end up dying alone in her room of old age, or grief, or perhaps starvation, maybe even of the loss of will to live, when her sixteenth birthday came around.

Her father had sent up plenty of suitors, all of whom she promptly turned down, hardly giving them a chance to speak their names. She sat on her windowsill late at night, after they had all gone, and sighed, staring longingly at the stars.

"How beautiful they are, the eyes of the night sky," she said to herself. "Always watching, always detached. They know nothing of true pain, true suffering and sadness. They are only witnesses, seeing what they want to see, and winking out when they have seen enough. How I envy them."

"You shouldn't," a voice said.

Jin gasped as her windows were opened by a dark shadow, and jumped back, as far away from it as she could. The shadow entered the room, the light illuminating it until she could see that it was nothing but a boy, about her age. His dark hair was unkempt and hazardous, framing his face in a halo of chaos, contrasting with his milky white skin, the color of the very stars that he appeared to have come from. His golden eyes pierced through her, making her heart race and her blood pound through her veins. It was as if he'd cast some kind of spell on her, making her unable to move, let alone form a coherent thought.

"The stars do not see what they want to see. Rarely do they ever. They are forced witnesses to the sufferings of humanity, and no matter how much they wish to intervene, they cannot. Can you imagine how utterly helpless they must feel?"

He had been walking forward, and now he was standing in front of her, offering her his hand to help her up, for she was sitting with her back up against the wall.

She reached up her hand slowly until her fingers were covered by his. He pulled her up gently, wrapping his other arm around her waist to keep her balanced. Their eyes met and their faces seemed only inches apart.

"Yes," she answered quietly, her lips hardly moving, her eyes never leaving his, "I can imagine. I live it, here, every day."

"I know," he answered. "I've seen you. Strange as it may seem, I am in love with you, even though you don't even know my name."

She blinked, the realization dawning on her. "You are a star, aren't you?"

"In a way," he said, twining his fingers with hers. "Please, do me a small pleasure. Lay with me for tonight."

She blushed and looked away, but was forced to look back at him when he held her chin in his hand. He pressed his lips against hers, gentle but full of leashed passion. She could not help but kiss him back, letting herself melt in the midst of the sensation, the heat caused by the friction her heart created as it pounded in her chest.

"Alright," she answered when they pulled back.

He smiled ever so slightly and led her to her bed, laying down with her under the thin sheets of summer. Their lovemaking was beautiful, gentle and pure, passionate and full of love. Jin knew then that this man, whatever he was, whoever he was, was the man who could finally free her from her imprisonment. He loved her, and she loved him, and that was all either of them needed to know.

As they lay next to each other, skyclad and warm with satiation, the man kissed her skin. "Do you wish to come with me?" he asked her. "We will live an unending life up in the heavens, surrounded by only the things and people that we wish to be surrounded by. I will do everything in my power to ensure you eternal happiness, my love."

She smiled at him, running her fingers through his hair, damp from sweat. "I would have gone with you whether you'd asked or not," she answered.

He grinned back and stood, his naked body a work of art worthy of Rome, and held out his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her against him, pressing her close and stealing her lips with a scorching kiss. Black wings of shadow appeared behind him, and he flew out the window with her, up into the heavens just as he'd promised. Their bodies melded with the dark night, illuminating, until they were nothing but specks of white light against the black sheet of atmosphere.


	9. 18: Dragon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: haha sorry if that was super weird. It sorta got weirder as I wrote it, but oh well. I thought it was cute anyways lol. Well, here's 18. Dragon! I'm so excited for this one; it's gonna be so much fun hehe

**18. Dragon**

What a fantastic situation! A new teashop, one of Iroh's very own! A dream come true, it truly was. This new life in Ba Sing Se had only good things to throw at the Prince and him, didn't it?

A new teashop, no more salary cuts, no more being the lesser paid employee... The customers at the old teashop had seemed to love his tea, and surely the news would be passed around quickly. He felt bad for his old boss; he'd end up losing all his customers to him. _That's business, my friend,_ he thought, shrugging and indulging himself in a guilty smile.

Now, speaking of business, there was one matter that held priority over everything else:

What to name the new teashop.

Something eye-catching, of course. Something strong, but not overpowering. Agni forbid he scare away his customers.

Iroh sat down in a chair by one of the green tables he'd had brought into the shop. Time to brainstorm. Something earthy for these Earth Kingdom people, so as not to throw them off. Hm... Earthy Blends? Agni, no. What an awful name! Perhaps... Jade Leaves? Jade Leaves... No, he couldn't imagine anyone saying, "Hey everyone, let's go to Jade Leaves!" That wouldn't do at all.

He stood up and took to pacing, a terrible habit that he discouraged very much, and always scolded Zuko for doing, though he couldn't help himself. His thoughts drudged along slowly, and a half hour later he'd still come up with nothing satisfying.

_Iron Maiden? Hm... where have I heard that before?_ He shook his head, tossing the idea aside.

Perhaps he should use something more personal. Well... he _was_ the Dragon of the West, so there was Dragon. And something about tea... His favorite tea was jasmine...

"That's it!" he exclaimed, pounding his fist on the counter.

Scuffled footsteps preceeded a frazzled-looking Zuko pulling aside the green curtain of the doorway. "Uncle, what happened?" he asked, his eyes predatory in the way they raked over the teashop.

Iroh blew out a breath and smiled. "Nothing, Prince Zuko, I just dropped something. Go back to bed."

Zuko glanced at his Uncle, then at his feet, seeing nothing on the floor. Nevertheless, he responded, "Be more careful. I thought something... Nevermind. Good night, Uncle."

Iroh blinked slowly, letting his mind begin to slow down. The Jasmine Dragon... it was perfect. Now, time for a good night's sleep, and he'd get the sign built in the morning.


	10. 43: Murder

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the last chapter and its happiness, because this one gets sorta intense. Don't forgot to review please!!! =)

Oh, and I noticed someone reviewed on the last chapter and asked what it had to do with Jin. In truth, it had nothing to do with her really. I just had the idea and wrote it. Sort of a nice little break from the cuteness of the perfect couple =) There might be a few more like that, but they are very few and far between, so no worries. If you don't like those, just skip 'em! I wont know ;D

**43. Murder**

"Jin?" My father called from his office, his voice soft and conversational. "Can you come in here for a moment?"

I set down my algebra textbook and pencil, dreading what was to come. To anyone else he sounded like a father who wanted to talk to his daughter about something as trivial as what to have for dinner that evening, but I knew better. I'd done something wrong.

I walked through the doors and shut them behind me. "Yes, father?" I asked, standing straight with perfect posture. My hands were clasped behind my back, so he couldn't see how I wrung them in nervousness.

He gestured from me to come closer; he had a printed paper in his hand. I knew immediately what it was, and I swallowed before coming closer.

"Jin, can you tell me what you got on your last English test?" he asked, his voice an even monotone. One would think that he didn't even care about his own question from his tone.

I hesitated, but knew that it was in my best interest to respond soon after his question. "A 'B', father."

"And did we not just last week have a conversation about your grades?" he asked.

_Yes, but this test was before then._ Though I couldn't very well say that out loud. It would only make it worse. "Yes, we did, father."

"And will you care to refresh me of what that conversation intaled?" He still hadn't met my eyes this entire time; not an auspicious sign.

"Anything under an 'A' is unacceptable," I relayed, letting my head fall, just enough that my bangs fell over my eyes. I didn't want to see his face when he finally looked at me.

"That's right; that was it." He held up the paper and rustled it, so the entire focus was on that one sheet. "So tell me, why is it that you've recieved a 'B' on a test?"

"I don't know, father -" I began, but stopped as he stood up suddenly and turned to face me.

"I'm not happy with you, Jin," he said. "I don't want to punish you, but it must be done if you are to learn anything."

I hung my head, trying to make it look like a nod, but probably failing miserably. There was nothing I could do to soothe his anger. What was going to happen would happen, no matter what I did. It's best I left it how it was than try to fix it and end up making it worse.

These were my thoughts as the back of his hand collided with my cheekbone.

There she was again, that girl. Her name was Jin, if I remembered correctly. She sat at the same table she always sat at, a melancholy expression on her face. It seemed like she'd been smiling less and less lately. I missed her smile. It always made me smile whenever she did. She was just so beautiful...

"When are you gonna ask her out, man?" Sokka asked, filling up a Venti cafe latte for a slightly overweight female customer.

I tore my eyes away from her and continued to organize the cups on the counter. "Who are you talking about?" I asked him, hoping my monotone would cover up my embarrassment.

Sokka laughed; he'd obviously seen through my ruse. "That Jin girl, over there!"

I elbowed him. "Will you shut up? She'll hear you!" I exclaimed, glancing her way in worry. She hadn't heard; she was too absorbed in watching the birds feed off McDonald's fries the little children outside were throwing at them.

Sokka laughed again, shaking his head and leaving for a moment to give the drink to the customer and take her money. He opened the cash register and glanced at me, a knowing smirk on his face. "Zuk, you've been staring at her all day for the past, like, week. Why don't you go talk to her?"

"Quit calling me that, first of all," I snapped; I hated that nickname he'd given me. As if we were the best of friends in all the world. He was a co-worker, nothing more. "And besides, what am I going to say to her if I _do_ talk to her?"

Sokka shrugged. "Ask her what she wants to order?" he offered.

"We're not working at Olive Garden, Sokka," I argued, frustrated. "This is Starbucks. We were hired here to take money and provide our customers with indifferent service. If I just walk up to her, it'd be so obvious!"

Chris suddenly burst out laughing, then covered it up when half the building turned to look at him. He offered the onlookers a smile before turning back to me. "Man, you've got it _bad!_ I never thought I'd see big bad Zuko stress out over some girl!"

"She's _not -!_" I started, then glanced around at all the people straining to listen in on our conversation. I clenched my teeth behind my lips and pulled Sokka to the side, forcing myself to calm down. "She's not just 'some girl'," I said when I was satisfied that no one could hear us. "She's beautiful, and lonely, and all I want to do when I see her is make her smile."

Sokka blinked a few times before responding. "That was intense, man," he said, and patted me on the back, his everlasting smile returning. "I definately gotta hook you two up."

"What?" I asked as he walked away. "Sokka!" I huffed and tugged on my hat, wishing I could rip the horrid thing off. I returned to the counter, paying Sokka no mind as he clocked out - to be replaced by the new guy, Jet, who insisted on chewing on the toothpicks provided in a small bowl on the counter - and looked once again at the sad but beautiful girl named Jin.

I'd had to wear my hair in braids today, to detract from the heavy makeup covering the bruises on my face. I had to make sure no one noticed. If they did, I'd be taken away from my father. Although that was one thing that I longed for more than anything else, I couldn't let it happen. Because he'd find me and hurt me even worse than he ever had before. He might even kill me. I didn't like to think about it.

He had given me money today; might as well actually buy something here. It'd be a first; I hoped their menu wasn't too confusing. Some places made up names for their food, or had it in different languages, so when you were ordering you weren't entirely sure whether to say it in Italian or English.

I got out my money before walking up, so as not to fuss with my wallet and look dumb. I looked up from my seat to check out what I could see of the menu - there was so much, and it was all written so small - and my eyes stopped at gold.

One of the boys that worked there was looking at me. Though the second our eyes met, he looked away and appeared to be very intent about his work. I smiled at this and looked away, too, before returning my eyes to him. He was very cute; long dark hair covered his forehead and hung over his eyes, almost hiding a pink scar on one side of his face. His eyes were golden, as I'd said before, though now I couldn't see them very well, as he was obviously a workaholic and was staring at the cash register as he opened it. He was very pale, which was unusual in this town that was bathed in sunlight almost every day; it seemed almost exotic. He looked adorable and awkward in his little Starbucks hat, and I let out a little laugh as I noticed this.

I looked away from him at the menu, trying discern each letter from the other. I wanted to get my order fast so I'd have an excuse to talk to this exotic, awkward boy.

Jet came up beside me, taking my job of cleaning the countertops. He blew out a slow whistle, looking at the left corner of the building. "Man, look at _that,_" he said, smirking.

I followed his eyes back to Jin, who'd just caught me staring at her not a minute ago. Immediately I went tense at the look in Jet's eyes; I knew he was a flirt, but he had not right to be checking _her_ out.

"I haven't seen her around before," he continued, looking at her like she was one of the slices of cake we served on occasion. "She's a cutie, isn't she?"

I ground my teeth together and didn't answer him. Instead, I slammed the cash register shut and turned to lean my back against the counter.

Jet turned to look at me. "What's your problem, dude? I'm just checking out a hott girl." His smile grew and he asked, "What, she's not your _girlfriend_, is she?"

I still said nothing. If I ended up punching him, I'd lose my job, like so many others before.

Jet laughed. "I didn't think so," he sneered. "Like you could seriously land _that_, right?"

Thankfully, a customer came up at that exact moment; if he hadn't, I would've ended up getting Jet's mouth sewn shut. I gave him his order, took his money, using the time to cool myself down, making sure I said the bare minimum to him, so I wouldn't yell at him and get myself fired.

I shut the cash register and looked up at the customer who'd just arrived, and froze for a moment.

It was Jin, a small smile on her face, her eyes glancing at me every so often as she stared at the menu above.

I did my best not to blush as I walked over. "Hey," I said lamely, offering her a nervous half-smile.

Her eyes flew to mine and her smile grew. "Hey," she returned cheerily, resting her hands on the counter. "Um... I'll have a... medium coffee."

"Tall," I corrected in reflex, then mentally smacked myself for doing so.

"Hm?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Uh, meduim... It's called tall here," I explained, feeling completely idiotic. She came here for coffee, not a lesson!

"Of course," she answered, rolling her eyes. "Because you guys are just too cool for the regular terms, right?"

I cracked a smile. "Yep, that's Starbucks for you," I replied. "We strive to be different, so much so that it's disgusting."

She laughed at that, and I left to prepare her coffee. I kept Jet in my peripheral vision, however, in case he took even one step toward her. I was not going to let him hassle this innocent girl with his perverted thoughts.

Finally, I was able to return to her. I set the coffee down on the counter and took her money.

_"When are you gonna ask her out, man?"_ Sokka's voice sounded in my head, and I couldn't stop myself from asking:

"What's your name?" As if I didn't already know.

"Jin," she said. "What's yours?"

"Zuko. Listen, Jin, I was wondering if, um... if you wanted to hang out sometime?" There, it was out. I braced myself for the rejection.

Instead she laughed. Not an obnoxious, mean laugh, but a sweet, almost childish laugh. "Sure," she said, grinning, "I'd like that."

I was aware of a giant weight leaving me, and I let out a sigh hidden behind a laugh. "Alright, well, uh..."

"Oh, here's my number," she said slowly as she took a comment card and pen from the counter, scribbling down the seven digit code quickly onto the back. She handed it to me and took her coffee. "Call me sometime."

All I could manage was a nod, and she seemed to think this funny, for as she left she giggled, bouncing lightly on her feet.

I sighed as the door closed behind her and was dimly aware of Jet patting me on the back and offering a cocky congratulations, though I paid him no mind. All I could think about was those seven numbers that would let me see her again.

Zuko had been so cute when he'd asked me to a movie over the phone. Every other word was coupled with an "um" or an "uh", until I was practically finishing all his sentences for him. After a five minute conversation, we agreed on seeing some new action movie, the typical first date genre.

I was ready in a prompt two hours, looking my best in natural makeup, dark jeans, and my favorite green shirt. I was just putting on my lip gloss when I heard his car pull up on the driveway.

I bid my father farewell, praying that he wouldn't say anything, and thankfully he was too wrapped up in his work to notice me much. I slipped out the front door to meet him there before he knocked, and offered him a smile as he led me to the car.

The conversation was the exact definition of small talk. We seriously talked about the weather that night, the weather from yesterday, what the weather will be like for the next few days. It wasn't exactly awful, though; it was actually sort of cute. I'd never been around a guy who was so nervous to be around me. I hoped he would open up more later, though. Maybe on a second date?

The movie was pretty straight-forward. Badass guy shooting people, meets up with hott girl, they hook up, and he gets to shoot some more people. I wasn't paying too much attention to the movie, though; I was much more attuned to the boy next to me. Whenever he'd move closer, more farther away, when his hand was near mine and when it wasn't.

Near the end of the movie I'd delibrately rested my hand on the empty cupholder, waiting to see if he'd hold it. He wasted almost no time. His hand was there, wrapping around mine, and nothing had ever felt more right to me in my entire life. I ended up leaning against him, my head resting on his shoulder, and his arm around mine. And I loved it.

He'd driven me home afterward, ever the gentleman, and walked me to my door.

"I had a great time, Zuko," I said, standing on the steps with him before going inside. Hopefully I could make this goodbye last as long as possible. Better than talking to my father.

"Me, too," he responded, shoving his hands into his pockets, bracing himself against the cold of the night.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me, wishing it was his arms around me instead of the fabric. "I hope we can do this agan sometime."

"Definately," he said, smiling.

It was silent for a moment, the crickets providing the conversation, before James spoke up. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see ya."

A few awkward seconds passed before he took a step toward me and planted a quick, sweet kiss on my lips. I blushed and kissed him back, and when he stepped back I just smiled at him. "Good night," I said, turning to the door, ignoring the tug that told me to stay longer.

"Good night," he repeated back to me, nodding his head and turning to walk down the steps.

And already I was awaiting the time when I could see him again.

These last months have been the happiest of my life. I hadn't realized how wonderful Jin was until I really talked to her, and even before then my expectations had been high. Six months passed in a blur, and there we were, watching a movie in my basement, my parents sitting like hawks in the room above. We'd had a good laugh about this, and joked about how we should make them think we were doing something 'bad', though we always chickened out for fear of them coming down, furious and red-faced - even though that would've been really funny.

I put my arm around her shoulders, gently brushing my fingers against her upper arm, and she winced at this. I immediately drew my arm away. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded, putting on a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, but I knew something was off.

"Come on, Jin, what is it?" I prompted, but she would have none of it.

"Let's just watch the movie, okay?" She said it like a question, but I knew there was no room to disagree. I turned back to the TV, then noticed something on my fingers, the same hand that had caused Jin pain. My fingertips looked lighter, and when I rubbed them together I knew something was coating them. It looked like makeup.

"Jin, what's this?" I asked, showing her my hand.

She shrugged. "I don't know," she said, overly nonchalant.

I frowned. "I know what it is," I said, watching her face. "Why are you wearing makeup on your arm? What are you trying to cover up?"

She opened her mouth, looking almost angry, but closed it as her expression turned to one of sadness, defeat. She scooted toward me and leaned against me, burying her face in my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around her in a comforting gesture. "It's okay," I muttered as her shoulders started shaking; I could only assume she was crying.

"It's my dad, Zuko," she choked out at one point, after what seemed like a long while.

"Your dad?" I asked in disbelief. Sure, I hadn't seen much of her dad, but I hadn't ever thought of him as a mean person, certainly not someone who would make his daughter _cry_.

She nodded, saying nothing else.

"Show me your arm," I told her gently, and she did so slowly, wiping her eyes before turning.

The makeup that I had brushed off had hidden a large purple bruise, and I cringed when I saw it, as if I myself had suffered a physical pain. "My God, Jin," I whispered, pulling her back to me. "I'm so sorry."

She let herself cry then, and I turned up the volume on the movie so my parents get suspicious and start poking around. I was sure she wouldn't want to explain this situation to them.

_Her father beats her..._ I was disgusted at the thought, my stomach churning uncomfortably. How could someone do things like this to their own daughter?

"Don't worry, Jin," I said softly to her, holding her close. _He won't hurt you anymore._

It's been a week since my father was murdered.

The police had gotten there before me, and apparently they had still gotten there late. Everything had been cleaned; they could find no clues of who the murderer was. Not that it really mattered to me. I, of course, felt a sufficient amount of sadness and greif over the loss of my father, but it passed rather quickly. And James was so helpful with the situation, too; always being there when I needed him, even if it was three in the morning so I could talk to him about a nightmare I had.

Today was the funeral, organized by my grandmother on my mom's side. She was my favorite relative. She never cared much for my father, and always said "there was something wrong with that man", so of course I liked her very much. And when it came to planning his funeral, she gave him the most basic funeral there was. A guest list, a casket, a priest, and a few people with speeches lined up, and some snack foods on little silver trays on a linen tableclothon a dining table.

I had to wait by the front door, greeting everyone absentmindedly, looking for only one person out of the entirety of the crowd. Finally, there he was, making his way up the steps. Zuko instantly gave me a hug when he reached me. "How are you doing?" he whispered in my ear before pulling away.

"Okay, actually," I answered. "I'm not as sad as I thought I'd be."

"I'm glad," he said. "What do you feel?"

I thought for a moment before I answered. "Freedom," I said quietly, as if the word itself were to be revered.

He smiled at this and took my hand. "Get used to it," he grinned. "It's a great feeling."

The priest took the floor and commanded silence as he read off his carefully planned speech about how wonderful my father was. What lies he was telling these poor people. They'd know nothing of his true nature, his cruelty. I had the sudden urge to take the floor and tell these people what he was really like, but Zuko's lips at my ear made me stop.

"He can't hurt you anymore, Jin."

How true were those words. How comforting. And how long I had waited to hear them.


	11. 28: Knife

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: So... I'm definately not too good with poems. Sorry if the last chapter dissapointed. I have another poem, which I'm actually very proud of, so I think I'll post that on my bio, if you guys are interested. Well, these next four chapters are ones that I think will be fun to write, but I have no idea which one to write first! So, I wrote down the four of them and their storylines and passed them around to my friends, and all I got was a bunch of different answers. So, I decided, here's how it's gonna be: 28, 94, 59, 90. So that's that. Review plz! =)

**28. Knife**

Jin pulled her bag onto her shoulder, fixing her robe underneath it, and bid farewell to the family she babysat for. She'd had to make dinner that night, since the parents were gone longer than anticipated, but that was alright; she got paid overtime. Plus the kids were just adorable, she didn't mind being around them for longer.

She shut the door behind her quietly, knowing the children to be light sleepers, and started on her journey. Her house was not too far, but she had to pass through a lot of alleys on her way. Perhaps it was paranoia, or maybe common sense, but she gripped the knife in her pocket, her eyes always looking one way or another, searching for that one shadow that flickered.

Nearly there, and no reason to fear. Her grip had loosened considerably, until she was only fingering the handle absentmindedly, running through plans in her mind of new games for the kids to enjoy. They were so smart, so energetic; they hated things to be routine.

So naturally, she was shocked and terrified when a hand flew out from the shadows and grabbed her bag. Acting quickly, she grabbed the strap of it before the thief could get away with it, but the momentum caused her to fall forward onto her stomach, knocking the breath out of her.

The thief grunted in frustration and muttered something angrily under his breath before picking her up by the back of her robe and shoving her against the wall. "Let go of the bag, girly," he growled, his dank breath in her face, making her gag.

She tightened her grip on the strap and tugged it closer to her, pulling the thief off balance. He stumbled forward and she slammed her shoulder into his chest, taking off at a run. He caught her overly-long sleeve and pulled her back, slamming her against the wall again.

Jin's breath left her in a swift exhale, but still she did not let go. That was her hard-earned money; she wouldn't let some bum off the streets just take it from her! She tugged at the bag again, trying to shove him back once more, but he wouldn't have it. In the rush, Jin had grabbed her knife instinctivly and pulled it out of her pocket. Now, the grundgy man wrestled the knife from her grip and pushed the length of the blade along the front of her throat, testing her.

"Let go of the bag," he repeated, slower this time.

Jin whimpered and bit her lip, but stupidly didn't let go. If anything, her fingers clutched at it even more, using it as almost leverage. _He'll just kill you and take the bag anyway!_ she thought. _Just let go!_

But she didn't. And thankfully, she didn't have to. From the rooftops, it seemed, a man - or demon? - in all black jumped to the ground and rushed at the thief. In less time than it took for Jin to catch her breath again, the thief was disarmed and scrambling away, trying to run with an obvious limp.

Jin held her breath and swallowed, but somehow managed a quiet "Thank you".

Her savior had his back to her, but turned just enough for her to see his profile. She blinked at the blue, impish mask he wore, with fangs like a saber-tooth moose-lion and a grin like a wolfbat. At her face, he turned fully, giving her a full view of the horned blue mask and threatening, almond-shaped eyes. He walked forward, and Jin couldn't help but take a shaky step back.

He stopped for a moment, gauging her reaction, then came forward again, and this time she didn't move. His black gloved hand lifted and gently touched her cheek. The warmth of his hand nearly set her on fire, reminding her of someone else...

His hand slowly slid from her face, the tips of his fingers teasing her bottom lip, and suddenly, he jumped to the roof and was gone.

Jin couldn't move, didn't want to move. But a voice sounded in her mind, quiet but demanding: _Run!_

Her legs, though defiant, moved with purpose, bringing her back home before she found herself again in a circumstance where she would have to be saved by the strange blue demon.


	12. 94: Taken

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: here's 94: Taken. Enjoy!

**94. Taken**

Mai looked on from the balcony of Zuko's room, her cold eyes locked on to the scene in the garden. They thought she couldn't see, thought no one could see. But oh, she saw what they were doing. And she didn't like it one bit.

Lips locked, their eyes closed, his hand - _her Zuko's hand_ - snaked around the girl's small frame to pull her closer. Her head tilted back and her fingers tangled in his dark hair to deepen the kiss. They broke apart only long enough to gasp for breath and offer each other an abashed smile before diving back in, passionate and loving.

_Loving._ Mai's eyes narrowed to slits. He was only supposed to love _her_. What happened to those moments before the sunset? Those confessions at Ember Island? His devotion to her, protection of her, _love_ for _her_? Did it even mean anything to him? Or if it had, did it still?

This girl, this Earth Kingdom girl that Ty Lee had stupidly let through the gates, was going to take her Prince away from her. She couldn't have that, no, not even for a second.

So she'd wait.

Finally, the two split apart. Their lips moved as they said their goodbyes, probably planning thier next meet. Mai couldn't help but smirk for a moment as she noted that that would never happen.

The girl walked away as Zuko did, taking a "secret" path through the flowers and trees. It was not long before she was surrounded by soldiers dressed in red. Her mouth was covered to silence her cries, and she was hauled away, arrested under the terrible charges of kissing the Fire Prince.

"Mai?" Zuko asked when he walked inside his room. "What are doing up? It's late."

Mai turned around, a smile still lingering on her lips. "Just waiting for you," she answered and pecked him on the lips. She didn't miss the way they were still warm and tasted of another girl. That would soon change. The only girl in Zuko's life was Mai.

And that was how it would always be.


End file.
